My hydrangea is being attacked by a creature which is eating holes in the new leaves making them appear tatty and bumpy. There may be more than one culprit as some of the holes are small while others are much larger, almost like a caterpillar has been at work.

How can I stop it happening again next year?

K HILL

REG SAYS: Thanks very much for the leaf sample, which shows the characteristic puckering and somewhat ragged-edged holes associated with an attack by capsid bugs. Capsids attack a wide range of plants but they seem particularly attracted to hydrangeas, caryopteris and forsythias. When dahlias are targeted the flowers open unevenly and in the case of fuchsias the blooms never develop properly.

The damage can occur at any time between late spring and early autumn and it is caused as the insects suck sap from the leaves. As they feed the bugs also inject toxinladen saliva into the leaf which kills a section of cells and causes them to fall away leaving a small hole, but as the leaf grows the holes also become gradually larger, producing holes of various sizes.

The bugs are about 6mm long when adult and are commonly pale green in colour but there are variations according to the species involved.

One thing that they all are is elusive, flying off or dropping to the ground as soon as they are disturbed, making them tricky to control. Be vigilant and check the foliage regularly and as soon as any damage is spotted treat with Bio Provado Ultimate Bug Killer. If the plant in question is in flower remember to do the job late in the evening to limit the risk to beneficial insects such as bees.

I’m sure you are very good at weed control but another good reason to pull out weeds such as groundsel, dandelions and dead nettles is that they are also favourite haunts of this pest.

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